:4—“There were giants on the earth in those days, & also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men & they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”

“Giants” or “mighty men” were present in antediluvian times, as well as in Moses’ day.

These “men of renown” are mentioned because they are readily noteworthy. The presence of these Nephilim (so-called “giants”) seems to be directly tied to the “sons of God going in to the daughters of men.” A noteworthy outworking of the progeny of this union was the Nephilim or “mighty men.

*“Renown” has a neutral connotation. It is qualified by its context. One can either be a renowned farmer or citizen OR a renowned murderer or dictator.

They were of some notoriety & ferocious reputation among men whose demeanor was quite unlike them.

*This fits in especially well with an understanding of the “sons of God” being the sons thru whom Noah was produced.

Also this situation evidently occurred after the Flood into Moses’ time(as he is the writer)—hence “afterward, when.”

These men were also present “afterward” in postdiluvian times, they are not some strange mixture of humanity with the demonic—although the demonic must have had a tremendously influential relationship with them.

They are only men, although they were definitely ferocious or animalistic in behavior. Thus there is no real mystery to the designations “sons of God” & their relationship to the “daughters of men.”

“The term in Hebrew[Mylpn] implies not so much the idea of great stature as of reckless ferocity, impious & daring characters, who spread devastation & carnage far & wide.”—JFB

“The whole problem with verse four is relating the allusion to these men who were mighty or strong & “men of renown [name]” to the context of the degradation of humanity. An answer may lie in the reference to nephilim in Numbers 33..... So, while these nephilim could have been tall & strong (with some exaggeration by the spies being considered), their obvious military prowess may have struck fear into the Israelites.....Thus, nephilim may not have been a reference to a racial group as such, but rather to those of a fearsome character.”—Trevor Major Num. 13:33—““There we saw the giants[Nephilim] (the descendants of Anak came from the giants[Nephilim]); & we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, & so we were in their sight.””